Sonoelectrochemical synthesis of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots

A facile and fast one-pot method has been developed for the synthesis of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous phase by a sonoelectrochemical route without the protection of N-2. The morphology, structure and composition of the as-prepared products were investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The influences of current intensity, current pulse width, and reaction temperature on the photoluminescence (PL) and quantum yield (QY) of the products were studied. The experimental results showed that the water-soluble CdTe QDs with high PL qualities can be conveniently synthesized without precursor preparation and N-2 protection, and the PL emission wavelength and QY can be effectively controlled by adjusting some parameters. This method can be expected to prepare other QDs as promising building blocks in solar cell, photocatalysis and sensors. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.